Automatic faucet

ABSTRACT

An automatic faucet contains a body including a spout; a spray head mounted on the spout to be pulled outward or retracted inward; an optical detecting device fixed on the spout to detect a hand of a user and to transmit a digital signal; wherein between a transmitting direction of an infrared ray and a water flowing direction of the spray head is formed an angle, and the angle is between 150 to 190 degrees; a controlling device to receive the digital signal of the optical detecting device and to control the water to flow out of the spray head.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a faucet, and more particularly to an automatic faucet with an optical detecting device to detect a displacement of a hand of a user.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventional automatic faucet disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,341 contains a closing valve; a controller, a discharging member connected with the closing valve via a pipeline; an optical sensor coupled with the controller through an electric line, and a cylindrical body to insert the pipeline and the electric line; wherein the discharging member and the optical sensor are fixed on a front end of the body, and the optical sensor is capable of reflecting a light on a flowing path, so when a user puts a hand on the flowing path, it is sensed to flow water.

The optical sensor is an infrared-ray sensor, and the infrared-ray sensor includes a transmitter to transmit an infrared ray and a receiver to receive the infrared ray, so the infrared-ray sensor is capable of being used to detect objects below a spout. However, the infrared-ray sensor can not distinguish a static state and a dynamic state, therefore the objects below the spout such as a pot, a blow, vegetables, or fruits in a water tank, are detected, and a water flow can not be opened and closed.

To solve above-mentioned problem, a position-sensing detector disclosed in US Pub. No. 20060200903 is applied to distinguish a user's hand or objects below the spout such as a pot, a blow, vegetables, or fruits in a water tank, so that water flows out of the spout precisely, and three sensors to flow the water out of the spout contains:

First positioning sensor including a sensing device to detect a user's hand, and the sensing device including an infrared-ray transmitter fixed at a transmitting position relative to 5 to 15 degrees in a vertical direction; a receiver to receive an infrared ray transmitted by the infrared-ray transmitter; a controlling device to transmit with the receiver and to control the water to flow out of the spout; the water is determined based on a receiving angle of the infrared ray. Because the user's hand and the objects in the water tank are located at different heights, the infrared ray reflected is received by the receiver at different angles to judge the user's hand or the objects, thereby flowing water precisely.

Second positioning sensor including an infrared-ray sensing device to transmit the infrared ray, to receive the infrared ray reflected, and to generate a distance signal, the distance signal represents a running distance before the infrared ray is reflected; a controlling device transmitting with the sensing device to control the water to flow out of the spout, and the water flows based on whether the distance signal is over a threshold distance value, and the threshold distance value is determined by an environment condition, for example, if the distance between the spout and the water tank becomes larger, the threshold distance value becomes larger; while the distance between the spout and the water tank becomes smaller, the threshold distance value becomes smaller.

Third positioning sensor containing an infrared-ray sensing device to transmit the infrared ray, to receive the infrared ray reflected, and to generate a distance signal, the distance signal represents a running distance before the infrared ray is reflected, and the distance signal is generated on a plurality of points to display a distance of each point; a controlling device to transmit with the sensing device and to filter the distance signal on a basis of an environment condition, and when the distance signal is filtered to judge if it is over a threshold distance value so that the water is controlled to flow out of the spout, wherein the plurality of points are the user's hand or the objects.

Nevertheless, if the user's hand or the object falls in or moves below the spout, the water flows out of the spout still.

Besides, if the third positioning sensor is served on a pull spray head of an automatic faucet and the spray head is pulled outward, in cause the user's hand passes below the spout carelessly, the water flows out of the spout still. In addition, if the spray head is pulled outward to a work zone, the user has to move the other hand below the spout to be sensed so that the water flows out of the spout, having inconvenient operation.

Even though an automatic faucet can sense the user's hand to flow water, cookware or kitchen knife is probably sensed to flow water out of the spray head, wasting water.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an automatic faucet is capable of overcoming the shortcomings of the conventional automatic faucet.

To obtain the above objectives, an automatic faucet provided by the present invention contains:

a body including a spout;

a spray head mounted on the spout to be pulled outward or retracted inward;

an optical detecting device fixed on the spout to detect a hand of a user and to transmit a digital signal; wherein between a transmitting direction of an infrared ray and a water flowing direction of the spray head is formed an angle, and the angle is between 150 to 190 degrees;

a controlling device to receive the digital signal of the optical detecting device and to control the water to flow out of the spray head.

Thereby, after the spray head is pulled outward to the work zone, the finger is capable of controlling a water supply by moving upward or downward.

The optical detecting device is fixed on the spray head, and the transmitting direction of the infrared ray is opposite to the water flowing direction of the spray head and is adjacent to the user and is located above a holding portion of the spray head, therefore the user or other objects around the transmission area of the infrared ray will not pass through or exist in the transmission area of the infrared ray, i.e., even though the user moves the finger toward a detecting area on purpose, the water will not be supplied, thereby preventing from water waste.

Furthermore, because the optical detecting device is fixed above the holding portion of the spray head, even though the user holds the spray head, the water will not be supplied. But, when the finger moves toward the detecting area, the finger is sensed to control the water supply from the spray head to prevent the water from flowing out of the spray head when the user pulls the spray head outward.

When the spray head is pulled outward to the work zone, the water supply is controlled easily by moving the finger upward or downward without using the other hand, thus obtaining an easy operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the application of an automatic faucet according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the operation of the automatic faucet according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the application of the automatic faucet according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the operation of the automatic faucet according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the assembly of an optical detecting device of the automatic faucet according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the operation of the optical detecting device of the automatic faucet according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the operation of the automatic faucet according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is another plan view showing the operation of the automatic faucet according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is also another plan view showing the operation of the automatic faucet according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, an automatic faucet 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a body 10 including a spout 11, a holder 101 fixed on a top plane 20 of a water tank 21, and an outlet pipe 102 disposed on the holder 101; the spout 11 is formed on an outlet end of the outlet pipe 102.

Referring to FIG. 2, the automatic faucet 1 also includes a spray head 30 mounted on the spout 11 to be pulled outward or retracted inward, and the spray head 30 includes a switch 31 arranged on the spray head 30 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 to shift different water spray modes.

The spray head 30 is connected with a water supply pipeline 40 having a section of soft tube 41 to flow water out of the spray head 30, thus supplying water. The water supply pipeline 40 includes a closing valve 50, such as a solenoid valve, to be properly opened or closed as illustrated in FIG. 4. It is well-known that when the closing valve 50 is opened, the water flows to the spray head 30 from the water supply pipeline 40 so as to supply the water; when the closing valve 50 is closed, the water stops flowing, and the closing valve 50 is controlled by a controlling device 60.

It is to be noted that the automatic faucet 1 is provided with an optical detecting device 70 to detect a displacement of a hand a (i.e., a finger) of a user. For example, when the hand a is detected, the controlling device 60 transmits a control signal toward the closing valve 50 to control the water to flow out of the spray head 30.

The optical detecting device 70, as shown in FIG. 5, is fixed on one side of the spray head 30 adjacent to the user and includes a light source 71 to emit light and reflect the light by ways of the user's finger; an image sensor 72 to receive the light reflected from the finger so as to further detect a fingerprint of the finger and to judge the displacement of the finger; a processing unit 73 coupled with the image sensor 72 to transform a fingerprint image into a digital signal.

The light source 71 is an infrared-ray transmitter to transmit an infrared ray as illustrated in FIG. 6, a transmitting direction of the infrared ray is represented by a Y axis, a water flowing direction of the spray head 30 is denoted by a X axis, between the Y axis and the X axis is formed an angle θ. In this embodiment, the angle θ is between 150 to 190 degrees, i.e., the transmitting direction of the infrared ray is equal to or close to an opposite water flowing direction of the spray head 30 such that the user or other objects around a transmission area of the infrared ray will not pass through or exist in the transmission area of the infrared ray, i.e., even though the user walks aside the water tank, the optical detecting device 70 is capable of detecting the transmission area of the infrared ray.

The image sensor 72 is a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) image sensor. The processing unit 73 is a digital signal processor (DSP). The optical detecting device 70 also includes a housing 74 disposed on the spray head 30 and integrally formed with a casing 32 of the spray head 30 as illustrated in FIG. 6, but the optical detecting device 70 can also be an independent component connected with the spray head 30. The housing 74 includes the light source 71, the image sensor 72, and the processing unit 73 fixed therein; the housing 74 includes an opening 741 fixed thereon as shown in FIG. 5 to emit the light and is made of IR transparent material.

The optical detecting device 70 of the present invention is disclosed in TW Pub. No. 201032091 A1 and is not a technology importance in the present invention, it is only used to match with a specific device to solve conventional defects.

The processing unit 73 of the optical detecting device 70 is the digital signal processor to transform the fingerprint image of the image sensor 72 into the digital signal so that the controlling device 60 controls the water to flow out of the spray head 30 by transmitting the digital signal toward the controlling device 60.

In operation, the automatic faucet 1 has two optional functions as follows:

First, the spray head 30 is kept in the spout 11 to flow the water, i.e., the spray head 30 is not pulled outward, so the user moves the finger across the transmission area of the infrared ray transmitted from the light source 71 of the optical detecting device 70 as illustrated in FIG. 7, the infrared ray is reflected by the finger and received by the image sensor 72, and the fingerprint image of the finger is detected to judge the displacement of the finger, thereafter the displacement is transmitted toward the processing unit 73 so that the fingerprint image is transformed into the digital signal, and the digital signal is transmitted toward the controlling device 60 so that the controlling device 60 opens or closes the closing valve 50 to control the water to flow from the spray head 30. When the user intends to stop the water, the finger moves across the transmission area of the infrared ray transmitted from the light source 71 of the optical detecting device 70 once more.

Secondary, the spray head 30 is pulled outward to a work zone so as to supply the water. In operation, as shown in FIG. 8, the spray head 30 is held by the user's and then is pulled outward to the work zone, because the finger will not pass across the transmission area of the infrared ray transmitted from the light source 71 of the optical detecting device 70 in a normal operation state, the water will not be supplied. After the spray head 30 is pulled outward to the work zone, the user's finger moves upward to cross the transmission area of the infrared ray transmitted from the light source 71 as illustrated in FIG. 9 so that the infrared ray is reflected by the finger to open or close the closing valve 50 by using the controlling device 60, thus supplying the water from the spray head 30. When desiring to stop the water, the finger moves across the transmission area of the infrared ray transmitted from the light source 71 of the optical detecting device 70 again. Thereby, after the spray head 30 is pulled outward to the work zone, the finger is capable of controlling a water supply by moving upward or downward.

The optical detecting device 70 is fixed on the spray head 30, and the transmitting direction of the infrared ray is opposite to the water flowing direction of the spray head 30 and is adjacent to the user and is located above a holding portion of the spray head 30, therefore the user or other objects around the transmission area of the infrared ray will not pass through or exist in the transmission area of the infrared ray, i.e., even though the user moves the finger toward a detecting area on purpose, the water will not be supplied, thereby preventing from water waste.

Furthermore, because the optical detecting device 70 is fixed above the holding portion of the spray head 30, even though the user holds the spray head 30, the water will not be supplied. But, when the finger moves toward the detecting area, the finger is sensed to control the water supply from the spray head 30 to prevent the water from flowing out of the spray head 30 when the user pulls the spray head 30 outward.

When the spray head 30 is pulled outward to the work zone, the water supply is controlled easily by moving the finger upward or downward without using the other hand, thus obtaining an easy operation.

While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An automatic faucet comprising: a body including a spout; a spray head mounted on the spout to be pulled outward or retracted inward; an optical detecting device fixed on the spout to detect a hand of a user and to transmit a digital signal; wherein between a transmitting direction of an infrared ray and a water flowing direction of the spray head is formed an angle, and the angle is between 150 to 190 degrees; a controlling device to receive the digital signal of the optical detecting device and to control the water to flow out of the spray head.
 2. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detecting device is used to detect a displacement of a finger and includes a light source to emit light and reflect the light by ways of the finger; an image sensor to receive the light reflected from the finger so as to further detect a fingerprint of the finger and to judge the displacement of the finger; a processing unit coupled with the image sensor to transform a fingerprint image into the digital signal.
 3. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light source is an infrared-ray transmitter to transmit the infrared ray.
 4. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 2, wherein the image sensor is a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) image sensor.
 5. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processing unit is a digital signal processor (DSP).
 6. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 2, wherein the optical detecting device also includes a housing disposed on the spray head, and the housing includes the light source, the image sensor, and the processing unit fixed therein; the housing also includes an opening fixed thereon to emit the light.
 7. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 6, wherein the housing is made of IR transparent material.
 8. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 1 further comprises: a water supply pipeline and a closing valve; the water supply pipeline being connected with the spray head and used to flow the water out of the spray head, thus supplying water; the closing valve being fixed on the water supply pipeline to be controlled by the controlling device.
 9. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detecting device is fixed on one side of the spray head adjacent to the user.
 10. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 2, wherein the optical detecting device is fixed on one side of the spray head adjacent to the user.
 11. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detecting device is fixed above a holding portion of the spray head.
 12. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 2, wherein the optical detecting device is fixed above a holding portion of the spray head.
 13. The automatic faucet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body includes an outlet pipe, and the spout is formed on an outlet end of the outlet pipe. 